JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Eight men were arrested in a single day after soliciting sex from an undercover detective at Beach and Peach Urban Park, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office said it received multiple complaints about people using the park, in the Southside Estates area, for illegal sexual activity. Vice Unit detectives took on the case and set up in the park with an undercover detective on Oct. 1.
“In just one day, detectives arrested eight men after they approached the undercover detective and solicited a sexual act in the park,” the sheriff’s office said in a release. Some also reportedly exposed themselves while speaking to the detective.
“Jacksonville’s beautiful parks are for residents to enjoy the outdoors,” the sheriff’s office said. “They are not a place for illegal or indecent acts.”
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
All eight men were arrested on charges of offering to commit lewdness:
- John Aguirre, 62, was also arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance
- Peter Smith, 63
- George Freeman, 72
- Cedric Jones, 56
- Alejandro Brioso Martinez, 37, was also arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and using drug paraphernalia
- Tajmaus Johnson Jr., 28
- Florentino De La Cruz, 47, was also arrested on a charge of exposing sexual organs in public
- Elkin Espitia, 45
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
What the arrest reports say
Action News Jax obtained the men’s arrest reports.
Out of the eight arrested, two of the men “did admit to having communicated with the detective in the past utilizing an online application called ‘Sniffies’ that assists homosexual men into meeting up with one another to engage in sexual intercourse,” according to the reports.
The report for Espitia describes how the encounter began, saying “a JSO Detective was undercover and posed as an individual inside the park.” The report then details that Espitia approached the detective and expressed verbal interest in engaging in sexual activity.
The report went on to say Espitia “then began grabbing/fondling his penis while speaking with the detective and stated he wanted to have sexual intercourse at the nearby benches.”
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
After he was read his Miranda rights, Espitia gave a different account. The report said he “advised he had gone to the park to ‘pray’ as he wished to become a pastor.”
He told the detective he was attending school to become a pastor and that this was the sole reason he was at the park, according to JSO’s report.
Espitia denied trying to engage in sex with the detective. The report said he maintained he had only been “friendly” and had not made any sexual conversation.
Action News Jax has not confirmed whether Espitia is in school to become a pastor. However, the arrest report specified he is employed as a delivery driver.
Espitia has not yet entered his plea. Court records show he is to be arraigned on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.